Mass burial for unknown bodies at Mortuary
Posted on June 9, 2022
The Mortuary is one of the unit under the Department of the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital. The Mortuary is a place for the storage of dead bodies (Corpses) under very cold temperature. The bodies are kept there until they are disposed of by their relatives or are used for the purpose pathological research. The Department receives coroner case from the Ghana Police, and also accepts dead bodies as a result of Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs).
The mortuary recorded over forty (40) unclaimed/unknown dead bodies which were received from the Ghana Police Service over the years. These bodies were at the mortuary from over two (2) to ten (10) years. External Auditors have raised queries about these unclaimed bodies any time they visited the Hospital for Audit assignments.
The Hospital Management resolved to take the necessary steps to organize mass burial for the unclaimed/unknown bodies which have been in the Mortuary for years. The Hospital Management in its meeting delegated the Head of Administration to ensure the necessary processes are followed to organize a mass burial for the unclaimed/unknown bodies. The Head of Administration wrote to the Municipal Assembly and the Ghana Police Service about the Hospital’s decision for a Mass burial.
The Hospital through the Municipal Assembly obtained a Court Order for the Mass burial. Notices were posted on notice boards within the hospital and in public places such as the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly, the Akropong Police station and Court, for the information of the general public. Announcement was made in the local radio stations (Asona FM and Rivers FM) and Information centers. Adom FM and Peace FM included it in their news items as the local FMs were their affiliates. The announcement was made and a deadline of three weeks (Twenty-One days) was given to the general public to come to the hospital for identification and collection of the bodies. The deadline for the twenty-one days ultimatum fell on the 28th May, 2022. A committee was constituted to see to the execution of the burial.
On Saturday, 28th May, 2022, forty-two (42) unclaimed/unknown bodies were given a Mass burial after all necessary step and measures have been taken. The burial was supervised by the Environmental Health officers of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly. The hospital management is grateful to the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Frederick Korankye, the Coordinating Director, Mr. Ishmael Anaman, the Municipal Environmental Officer, Mr. Alex K. Damptey and his Officers, the District Police Commander, Supt. Simon Woyram Setorglo and his Officers, the Media and the Hospital Mortuary staff for their immense contribution towards the success of this Mass Burial exercise.
